How's this for a training camp wrinkle? When Blue Jackets camp opens Sept. 13 in Nationwide
Arena, team owners will have lots at stake, not just the players.

At a private function tonight in the arena, majority owner John P. McConnell and minority owners
Ron Pizzuti, Jay Crane and John F. Wolfe will each draft 16-player clubs from the Jackets' training
camp roster -- three centers, seven wingers and six defensemen.

Call it fantasy hockey for the well-heeled, the offseason brainchild of coach Ken Hitchcock.

"Two reasons," Hitchcock said. "In last year's camp, we got complaints from a few players that
everybody didn't get a fair chance early in camp (to make the club). They felt like it was
predetermined.

"So we wanted to have fun, and these guys are the ones with the most at stake. They've guided
the franchise to this point. It's their team."

Team McConnell will play Team Crane at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 13, and Team Wolfe and Team Pizzuti
will face off at 2 p.m. The losers will meet the following day at 10:30 a.m., and the winners at 2
p.m. The games will be held in the Dispatch Ice Haus and will be free and open to the public.

"We might have a trophy, but no cash prizes," Hitchcock said jokingly. "That would count against
the salary cap."

As there are only six goaltenders in camp, they'll be appointed to clubs on a daily basis by the
coaching staff.

Asked for a predicted winner, Hitchcock said: "The referees."

After the two-day tournament, the Blue Jackets will play their exhibition opener Sept. 15 in
Pittsburgh, then split into two groups for the next week or so of camp.

"It's going to be good," Hitchcock said. "It'll be fun, and we'll get a good evaluation.

"The added bonus is, a lot of these players don't know who all of the owners are. A lot of time
and effort has gone into building this franchise. The players should know who's responsible."

Still the rep

Manny Malhotra remains an unsigned free agent, and it's unlikely that he will be returning to
the Blue Jackets.

Even so, Malhotra represented the Blue Jackets at the NHL players' association meetings over the
weekend in Chicago, during which the union voted to oust executive director Paul Kelly.

The Blue Jackets will elect a new team representative before the start of the season.

Malhotra opted to test the free-agent market after negotiations with the Blue Jackets in June
failed to get anywhere near a contract. He was looking for $2 million per season, according to
sources.

When the Jackets signed free-agent center Sammy Pahlsson to a three-year, $7.95 million
contract, they no longer had an interest in Malhotra.

Atlanta and Florida are among the clubs that have expressed interest in Malhotra, according to
league sources.

Slap shots

Defenseman Mike Commodore will take batting practice and throw the ceremonial first pitch before
tonight's game between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates in Great American Ball Park.
About 12 Blue Jackets players have arrived in Columbus in advance of training camp. A handful more
are expected by Wednesday, including captain Rick Nash and goaltender Steve Mason. Players will
report to camp and have physicals Sept. 12.